Means for opening bales of fibers



MEW 39, W5@ J. HUGHES MEANS FOR OPENING BALES oF FIBERS 2 Shee'ts-Sheet l Filed July lO, 1947 May 30, M5@ J. HUGHES MEANS FOR OPENING BALES oF FIBERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July l0, 1947 O e g ---"T Patented May 30, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application July 10, 1947, Serial No. 760,033 In Great Britain April 4, 1946 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires April 4, 1966 6 Claims.

This invention relates to that kind of means for opening bales oi' fibres wherein the bales are fed upwards to teeth which comb or flake fibres from the top of the bales.

The object of my invention is to provide a novel construction which enables bales composed of any kind of staple fibres to be opened at a relatively quick speed and the iibres to be delivered in an open condition, without danger of clogging of the teeth and consequent ineffective ness thereof,

Means of the hereinbefore specified kind for opening bales of fibres in accordance with my invention comprises a horizontal row of toothed or spiked rollers adapted to rotate at a relatively slow speed in combination with a horizontal row of toothed or spiked rollers each of which is superposed vertically above one of the rollers of. the lower row and is adapted to rotate at a relatively high. speed, some of the rollers of the lower row being adapted to rotate in reverse direction to the remaining rollers of the lower row, whereby the lower row of rollers comb or flake fibres from the top of the bale or bales and convey the detached fibres upwards between some of them to within reach of the upper row of rollers and the upper rollers throw the detached fibres into an enclosed space above them, break up any lumps of libres and prevent clogging of the lower row of rollers.

An outlet is provided from the enclosed space and opens directly into a casing containing a rotary condensing cage the interior of which is connected to air exhausting means, whereby the opened fibres are drawn from the enclosed cham ber on to the condenser drum.

The rows of rollers and the outlet may be so situated that the vlibres flung into the chamber are drawn directly into the oriiice.

Alternatively a baffle may be provided in the enclosed space and the rows of rollers and outlet be so arranged relative to the baflie that the bres are thrown by the upper row of rollers to that end of the enclosed space which is remote from the outlet before they are drawn through the outlet, whereby any lumps of bres flung off the rollers may fall again under the opening action of the rollers.

One or more guide surfaces may be provided in the enclosed space to guide the lumps back to the rollers.

One or more adjustable trap members may be provided to prevent loose fibres from falling down one or more sides of the bales.

Trucks may be provided to rest on the bale elevating means and carry the bale or bales to be opened, whereby introduction of a bale or bales into the bale opening is facilitated.

I attain the hereinbefore stated object by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a fragmentary side view, partly in section, of means for opening bales of bres.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view in section taken on aline corresponding with line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction shown therein I provide a casing I containing an elevatable platform 2 and having a door 3 through which a truck 4 carrying bales 5 can be pushed on to rails l provided on the platform 2. When the door 3 is shut the casing is completely closed except for an outlet I extending from the closed top of the casing I a suitable distance down one side thereof.

A horizontal row of rollers 8, for example ten, are provided in the casing I parallel with the said side and have straight spikes` or teeth 9. The rollers 8 are adapted to be driven slowly, for example at about 3 to 12 revolutions per minute, from outside` the casing by any suitable driving means (not shown), so that the first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth rollers B rotate in one direc tion, whilst the second, fourth, sixth, eighth and tenth rollers 8 rotate in the reverse direction.

A horizontal row of rollers Ill of larger diameter and having straight spikes or teeth I I are provided closely above the row of rollers 8 with their axes vertically above and parallel with the axes of the rollers 8, there being one roller I0 above each roller 8. The rollers I0 are .adapted to be driven quickly, for example at about 1000 revolutions per minute, from outside the casing I by any suitable driving means (not shown) s0 that all the rollers I0 rotate in the same direction and the teeth II at the top travel towards that side of the casing which is opposite to the side provided with the outlet l.

The teeth or spikes 9 and II are radial and spaced circumferentially wide apart to avoid clogging.

The rollers 8 and Ill are at a considerably lower elevation than the bottom of the outlet 'I and a considerable distance from the closed top I3 of the casing I, so that a space l2 of a considerable height exists between the rollers Il] and the top I3.

The outlet l is directly Vconnected to the intake I8 of the Vcasing I6 of a rotary condensing cage which has a delivery trunk I5 and contains a slowly rotatable condensing drum I6 having a perforate periphery and adapted to have air drawn from its interior through the casing by a fan or blower I 'I so that air is drawn in a stream from the casing I through the outlet I and the intake I8 and through the periphery of the drum I6, means being provided for automatically stripping or releasing fibres from the said periphery as the drum i6 rotates, so that they can fall through the delivery trunk I5. An adjustable Vbaffle plate I8 in the casing I4 determines'the area of the periphery of the drum lpresented to the air stream.

In operation, as the bales `are` fed upwards, the rollers 8 comb or fiake masses of libres off their upper surfaces until the wholeof each bale has been broken up. The combings or fiaking'sare forced upwards by the cooperative action of some of the rollers 3 with others thereof, so that masses of the combings or flakings are driven upwards between the rollers ll'of thesecond r'ow andare vigorously atacked by them in a manner which opens the bres of the masses and dings the opened and therefore easily iiloatable libres into Vthe space l2. These floatable `fibres oat along 'with the air stream created in the space bythe suction of fan or blower lll and are collected by the'perforated periphery of the drum I6, released and delivered through the delivery trunk I5. The fibres kwhich are thrown up by the rollers ID Whilst still in a matted mass of insuiiicient lightness to-iioat with the air stream fall back to the Y stream. The air currents set up by the fast rotating rollers I!! blow off any excess cf'fibres on Ithe rollers 8 and automatioaly prevent the spikes or teeth-9 thereof from becoming `clogged and so failing to comb or flake fibres from the bales.

YTo l .intensify the selective action of the air stream, a baffie platen-may be provided in the space I2 `to lengthen-.the course which the air stream takes on its way to the outlet I and as fares-possible cause it to flowalong the underside ofthe closed top i3 of the casing l from that side which is opposed to the side provided with the outlet l, namely in the direction of the arrowZI. .The spikes or teeth lI of the rollers Ill and the air current created thereby immediately above the rollers lil drive the'bres towards the said opposed. side of the casing I, namely in the direction ofthe arrow22, and those iibres which are in a suiiicientlyopen state arrive in the Yair current which is immediately beneath the top I3 and which carries them in the reverse direction to the outlet l. Anf,J fibres which are not in a suiiiciently iieecy state, are given an opportunity before they can be carried by the air stream to the outlet 'I of falling dow-n again to the/rollers Il] for further opening treatment.

*.'A guide :plate 23 Amay Ybe provided -in the casing I beneath the outlet 'l to guide any insufficiently opened `fibres'whichA fall close to the outlet 'I back to where they will again-come under the action of the rollers Ill.

nA-trap plate 24 adapted to project from one' or lmore sides of thecasing l may be provided therein to prevent fibres from falling down one side or sides of the bales 5 to below the upper surface thereof and therefore remaining inthe casing. As `bales vary insize, the plate 24 is preferably'adf iustable so that the extent of its projection-can be varied toe-suit the different sizesof bales.

ing them into the uppermost part of the casing, Vand an outlet provided in the casing for extrac- "tion VVof removed fibres from the uppermost part ofthe casing.

2.' Means of the specified kind for opening bales of vfibres, comprising in combination, an elevatableplatfom for elevating bales of iibres, a horizontal row of spiked rollers above the platform Vand rotatable at a low speed for combing fibres from the upper ends of the bales presented to them, aV horizontal row of spiked rollers each of which is superposed vertically and immediately above one'of therollers of the lower row, andan enclosed space above the superposed rollers, alternate rollersof the lower row being rotated -in reverse direction to the remaining rollers-of the lower row for causing the separated fibres to be fed by the row of lower rollers directly upwards to the superposed rollers and the superposed rollers being rotatable at high speed for throwing the fed fibres into the said enclosed space above them, Abreaking up any lumps of fibres and preventing clogging of the lower row of rollers.

Means of the specified kind for opening bales of libres, comprising in combination a casing, an elevatable platform in the casing for feeding bales of libres upwards, a horizontal row of spiked rollers rotatable at a low speed and situated in the casing above the platform for dragging bres from the fed bales, alternate rollers being rotatable in reverse direction to the remaining rollers for feeding the dragged bres upwards, a horizontal row of 'rollers each disposed in the casing vertically above aA roller of the first named row and rotatable at a high speed for throwing the upwardly fed libres above them, breaking up lumps of upwardly fed'bres and preventing cloglging ofthe lower rollers, an outlet provided in the'casing at a higher elevation than the rollers, a casing into which the said outlet opens directly, a rotary condensing cage in the second named casing and vair 'exhausting means connected t0 the condensing cage.

'4. Means of the specied kind for opening bales of fibres, comprising in combination, a casing, two horizontal rows of horizontal spiked rollers therein, one row of which is below the other the lower row being for removing fibres from a bale fed upwards to it and conveying the removed :fibres upwards and the upper row being for throwing the conveyed iibres into the upper part of the casing towards one side thereof, an outlet provided'in the opposite side of the casing above the level of the higher row of rollers, air exhausting means for drawing air out of the casing through the said outlet, a balile in the casing in advance of the outlet `for preventing fibres from `passing from the rollerthrough the outlet by `the'short'est path, and an elevatable platform in the casing for feeding the bale upwards to the lower row of rollers.

5. Means of the speciiied kind for opening balesof fibres, comprising in combination, two horizontal rows of horizontal rotatable spiked rollers, one row being arranged above the other andthe rollers'of the upper' row being rotated at a higher speed than-therolle'rs of the low'ei for feeding bales of fibres upwards to the lower:

row of spiked rollers and thereby causing bre's to be removed by the lower row of spiked rollers from the bales, a casing containing the rollers, for receiving in its upper part libres removed from the bales and elevated by the lower row of spiked rollers and thrown upwards by the upper row of spiked rollers, an outlet in the casing ata higher level than the rollers. an air exhausting means for drawing air and bres floating therein from the casing through the outlet and a guide surface for returning to the rollers lumps oi fibres nung thereby into the upper part of the casing.

6. Means of the specied kind for opening bales of bres, comprising in combination, two horizontal rows of rotatable spiked rollers arranged one above another and rotated at different speeds, an elevatable platform beneath the said spiked rollers for feeding bales of fibres up to the lower row of spiked rollers and thereby enabling them to remove bres from the bales. a

casing containing the said rollers for receiving ilbres removed from the bales beneath the rollers and elevated by the lower rollers and thrown upwards by the upper rollers, an outlet in the casing at a higher level than the rollers, anl air exhausting device for drawing air from the casing through the outlet, and trap means provided in the casing for preventing bres from falling outside the limits of the top of the bale.

J Omi' HUGHES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,375,985 Vardell Apr. 26, 1921 1,545,367 Tice July '1, 1925 2,192,823 Aycock Mar. 5, 1940 2,221,262 Nims et al. Nov.. 12, 1940 

